Students handwrite their hopes for President Obama

On Jan. 11, Kristen Ando’s fourth-graders at South Lawrence East Elementary School sat quietly in their seats, turning their biggest wishes for change in the United States into carefully handwritten letters to President Obama.

Congratulations on your reelection. I am so proud to have an amazing president agian. Ever since you became president I've been a huge fan. I also think your brave for taking huge risks. And your speeches have inspired me to live on my dream and keep believing in myself. Your my inspiration.

The letter-writing campaign Mail to the Chief is sponsored by Handwriting Without Tears, a national curriculum for elementary school students that guides putting words on paper. Jan Olsen, founder of Handwriting Without Tears, said the program is an easy way to teach children the power of the written word and to encourage them to share their opinions and concerns. Here, fourth grade students discuss their ideas for letters at South Lawrence East Elementary School.
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Mark Wilson for The Boston Globe

Ando’s class in Lawrence originally wrote Mail to the Chief letters in December but decided to send second versions in an effort to stress the importance of revising.

Pictured: Elkin Gonzalez, 8, shares his concerns about gas prices with his classmates.
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Scan of letter: Courtesy of South Lawrence East Elementary School

"Dear President Obama,

I think cyberbullying shouldn't be allowed because it hurts people feelings. It can cause fights. Is there any thing you can do.

Congratulations on your reelection. I am a huge Obama fan. Your speeches have been inspiring me since the very beginning of your career as a president. You are a great leader and you have made me realize that there are hundreds of people in the world who are not treated the right way. I have also been thinking that you should decrease animal abuse. I would also like more school hours because kids need more education than what they get. Also because of you I want to be the first woman president.

Ando said students took the assignment very seriously this year at South Lawrence East Elementary School, where 89 percent of the study body is Latino and 37.5 percent learned English as a second language.

In their letters, the students discussed issues like school safety, natural disaster relief, and poverty among other things.

Pictured: Malika Jusino, 10, uses an up close approach to her writing.
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Scan of letter: Courtesy of South Lawrence East Elementary School

"Dear Mr. President,

Congratulations,to your reelection, is your wife and daughters proud? I have some advice, I think we should have more security because we don't want that tragedy to happen again. Your a great leader for me, and I hope your proud of being president because you inspired me to be the first woman president because all your speeches are really inspiring to me. I wish there were no more animal abused.

Congratulations on your reelection. I am so happy to have you as a president again! My whole class wanted you to be president so bad! I hope to be a president one day then I could be first female president and inspire little girls to be a president like me! I also want to tell you that my family is having trouble on saveing money and I will like if you can help.

Congratulations on your re-election. I am very glad you are our president again. I think you should lend some money to the people that got Hurricane Sandy. President Obama my hopes and dreams are I am dying to see you and your wife and daughter and to be the first woman president.

Congratulations on your debate. I am so happy. I was mayby thinkin you can put more securaty in schools because of what happined in Connedicat. I am so sad. And I am a big fan and mayby you can make a hottel four poor people. And you are a very good leder and hard worker. I really hope you read and I have one more thing I wish you can viset.

Erin Rich, an occupational therapist at Molin Upper Elementary in Newburyport, said that many of her students added their own artistic touches to the Mail to the Chief paper they used.

“Most of them chose to draw beautiful pictures to go with the letters,” she said. “Many of them included Bo, the [president’s] dog.”

Pictured: Saint Lawrence East students Sheilin Rojas, 9, and Jaidiliz Salazar, 9, craft their letters.
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Scan of letter: Courtesy of Molin Upper Elementary School

"Dear Mr. Obama,

It's great that you are still president! My name is Alexandra. I am 9 years old. I live in Newburyport with my sister, mother, dad, and my dog named Saddie. I have a few important questions to ask you. How was voting? I must be very hard and stressful for you. At least people think that you are a good president for our country. Another thing I need to talk to you about is war and soldiers! Please make the war end! I know they are keeping people safe but I just can't stand the suffering and how the soldiers try so hard for America! Please make the world a better place!

Here is some advice for you. For the next four years that you're president could you spend more time helping poor and homeless people. Also could you start a program for kids to help keep the world a better place. they could pick up trash on feilds and teach people about recycling. Thank you for recycling!

My name is Autumn. I am 9 years old and I am in 4th grade. I live in Newburyport, MA. I am really excited to write this letter to you! Could you make houses for people to live in? What is it like to live in the White House? I think your dog Bo is wicked cute!

“We had such a terrific response,” said Handwriting Without Tears founder Jan Olsen of the first installment of Mail to the Chief. “It’s a way of engaging children in the workings of government, saying ‘You can’t vote yet, but you know what? You can write a letter.’ ”

Pictured: Nayla Rios, 9, uses a prepared sheet of topic words to create her letter to the president.
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Scan of letter: Courtesy of Molin Upper Elementary School

"Dear Mr. President,

My name is Carly. I live in Newburyport Mass. I'm in 4th grade at the Molin School. I have an opinion that smocking should be illegal because tobacco has tar, nail polish remover, and rat poison in it so that's what makes it really bad. What does it feel like to live in the White House? Is it hardd to find your way around the White House?

My name is Olivia Webb. I am 9 years old and in 4th grade. I live in Newburyport. I love to travel. I have actually seen your house! It's beautiful! I also love to dance! Ok. Enough talk about me. If you can please build more shelters for people in need. I have seen some people in Boston without homes after Hurricane Sandy. It's very sad. I hope you can respond!